Norway’s day of sorrow

It was a day when sorrow was felt by a nation -Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg laid a wreathe on Utoeya island in remembrance of the 77 people who died in last year’s massacre by a right-wing extremist.

The ceremony marked the place where most of the mainly teenage victims fell.

July 22 will now always be remembered as the day when Anders Behring Breivik went on a killing spree and launched bomb and gun attacks in Oslo and on the island where young Labour party activists had been staying.

Despite the tears and symbolism there was a surprising air of defiance. At an evening concert in the capital the song ‘Children of the Rainbow’ was sung. It had been ridiculed by Breivik during his trial for promoting multiculturalism.

Next month five judges will give their verdict over Breivik’s sanity.

As members of Norway’s Royal family looked on American singer Bruce Springstein closed the concert with his own message of support ending a painful day for many.

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